1
2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
you'd better shut up if you don't want a poke on the nose
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
the constantly bickering husband and wife seem unable to let five minutes pass without an exchange of gratuitous pokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
chiefly Southern & Midland
as in pouch
a container made of a flexible material (as paper or plastic)
the old warning against buying a pig in a poke
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point
saw his head poking through the window
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to interfere
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
told him to stop poking into other people's business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to crawl
to move or act slowly
just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of poke
Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2024
The aloha spirit is real, with residents eager to tell you about their favorite poke spot or shave ice shop.
—Catherine Garcia, theweek, 23 July 2024
Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
The quick transition, which was designed to poke fun at how many millennials had higher financial expectations for their adulthood, has left viewers online in hysterics.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for poke 
Noun
The sampling of Bailey’s work tells us that the jubilant formal talent on view, unlike other iterations of Funk, needs no business with pokes in the eye.
—Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2024
The aloha spirit is real, with residents eager to tell you about their favorite poke spot or shave ice shop.
—Catherine Garcia, theweek, 23 July 2024
Verb
Lizzo Lizzo poked fun at the Ozempic craze by dressing as a weight-loss drug for a mock ad.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
The quick transition, which was designed to poke fun at how many millennials had higher financial expectations for their adulthood, has left viewers online in hysterics.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for poke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poke
Verb
-
Elsewhere in the stream, Kodak attempts to have a normal conversation with the Twitch streamer before totally bugging out, protruding his eyes with a face full of sweat.Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2024
-
The discovery sheds light on why arthropods evolved appendages protruding out of their heads.Katie Hunt, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Say no to temptation and to those trying to slow you down or interfere in your personal life.Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
-
Raffensperger has previously accused Russia of attempting to interfere in the state’s elections, including through the use of videos with disinformation about election integrity.Yash Roy, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Access is easy without the need for ladders (rooftop tents) or crawling (traditional ground tents).Fergus Scholes, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Here's why At one point he’s basically indentured to almost comically evil thieves, who force him to crawl through small spaces in the rubble to steal for them.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The longer the war in Ukraine drags on, the more the cost of deterring China goes up.Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
-
She had been strangled with a ligature, bludgeoned and dragged by a car into the desert wash, police said.Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Why risk messing that up because of a tiny screen? About the Author More Stories Coke, Twinkies, Skittles, and … Whole-Grain Bread?Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2024
-
This feels like a confirmation that Ellie was partly to blame for messing the laundry up before, even if unintentionally.Emma Soren, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
The unconscious mind lingers on the problem even after people have used strategies to quiet the fear by pushing it from awareness.Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
-
For some people, PPD lingers for months and years, increasing in severity over time.Wendy Wisner, Health, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Asian Americans saw their unemployment rate creep lower to 3.9% from 4.1%.Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
-
The big picture: October temperatures in Philly have been creeping upwards in recent decades, per an analysis from Climate Central.Mike D'Onofrio, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Caught snooping What a weirdo pic.twitter.com/jjobqAomhp — v (@vgveegeevg) October 7, 2024 SnoopyWeekly’s silence on the election was deafening.Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
-
The book also depicts Lomeli also snooping, but there’s no mention of Sister Agnes nearby.Eric Andersson, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near poke
Cite this Entry
“Poke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poke. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share